1. Field of Invention
The present invention relates to a splint, and more particularly to an ambulatory hip fixation-traction splint set which is capable of applying to an patient with hip fracture, hip disease or other disorders to not only keep the injury area of the patient in fixation position but also assist the patient to have a suitable movement so as to enhance the recovery of the injury area.
2. Description of Related Arts
According to the National Institute of Arthritis and Musculoskeletal and Skin Diseases (NIAMS), Osteoporosis is one of the major health risks for tens of millions of Americans. Every year osteoporosis is responsible for more than 1.5 million fractures, which include 300,000 hip fractures, approximately 700,000 vertebral fractures, 250,000 wrist fractures, and more than 300,000 other fractures. Patients with osteoporosis may have fractures induced from normal movement action, such as lifting, bending, or accidental falling. Therefore, there is a strong demand for treatment methods for osteoporosis. And in fact, together with those having bones fractures or the like by accident, there is a great number of patients suffering from bones diseases, bone fractures or related problems such as broken bones, bones fractures or other disorders.
Immobilization is one of the most popular and efficient treatment methods for bones diseases or support system related problems, such as bone fractures, broken legs, and hip diseases or other disorders. Orthoses, such as braces, splints or casts, are widely developed and used for external fixation. Existing methods of immobilization by orthoses as external fixation for areas such as neck, elbow, wrist, knee, or ankle are proved to be very effective and efficient. Yet there is still no effective or efficient immobilization method for hip area or its vicinities.
Among existing methods of immobilization by external fixation for hip or thigh diseases, casts or splints for fixing and guiding the fracture or broken parts in position are commonly used. However, either a spica cast or a traditional splint is not an ideal method for immobilization, especially for the old with hip fracture or hip disease. These two common methods, a spica cast or a traditional splint, pose high risk of complications or side effects, such as pressure sores or pneumonia. In case if too much space is left for allowing movement, these two methods are inadequate for fixation and immobilization.
In order to provide chances of exercises for patients, traditional traction can be achieved for the reduction and fixation of unstable fracture. Unfortunately, traditional traction including both skeletal traction and skin traction must be applied on a lying surface such as a bed and balanced by cords with pulleys and weights. Therefore, patients with hip fractures or bone diseases must be laid on a bed if traditional traction is applied for assisting movement. However, since patients with hip fractures or bone diseases usually require a long period of time for recovery, and traditional traction cannot assist patients to have movement out of the bed, patients will ultimately required to lie on the bed for a long period of time. If suitable movement or exercise cannot be accompanied as a recovery treatment, many problems such as pressure sores, pneumonia, or even deterioration of healthy organs of the patient may probably appear and hence adversely affect the health of the patient.
Suitable traction or guidance should be provided at the same time for facilitate movement as appropriate movement or exercise is effective, useful or required for recovery. Currently, many methods or equipment are developed for aiding movement or exercise by traction, yet these methods are either ineffective for traction or impose great inconvenience to the patient. The patient always needs to seek for guidance and support in movement and relies heavily on third party, or the patient is required to lie on a bed all the time.
Accordingly, a walking stick is widely used in different situations for providing support to the old, to hikers, to the weak, or to those with broken or fracture bones such as broken ankles, broken fibula, broken shinbone, broken kneecap (patella) or broken thigh bone (femur). When the walking stick is used for providing support to a patient or for orthopedic purposes, it is particularly important that the walking stick is capable of providing a rigid, yet protective and flexible support according to the body movement so as to prevent the collapse of the walking stick and worsen a broken or weakened part of the patient. The walking stick is highly effective for patients having bone problems such as broken ankles, fibula, shinbone, kneecap or thigh bone. However, in the case of hip fractures or hip diseases, a walking stick is far from adequate for assisting movement or traction.
For example, if a patient having a hip fracture uses the walking stick for standing or even walking, he will probably fall down and worsen his situation. Hip fracture will lead to chain collapses of support system right from the hip, even though his legs have no problems. If he tries to stand or walk with a stick, great pressure will be applied on his hip, especially when there is a weaken part, i.e., the fracture part. This kind of pressure will be concentrated on his hip and will cause displacement or distortion of his hip, spreading of the fracture area, or even breakage the fracture area. Therefore, existing walking stick is not suitable for assisting movement by traction. The support of a walking stick is not concrete and adequate. If the pressure, which is originally concentrated on the hip, can be spread to and shared by other parts of the body, the possibility of standing or even walking will be high increased.
There are also different methods for aiding movement for the injured person. For example, a hanging weight support associated with a pulley and a cord, and a bed comprising a rear part which may be uplifted are used together, so that the patient may use his own body weight in aiding movement by traction, such as lifting his lower body or stretching himself, or supporting and moving himself for gaining a certain degree of exercise or moving ability. However, the injured person is still required to lie on his own bed.
There are many disadvantages in lying on a bed. Recovery of our skeleton or support system usually takes time, and it may take several weeks, months or even years. If a patient is required to lie on a bed for a long time, his respiratory system, blood circulation system, digestive system or other healthy parts of support system will be adversely affected or deteriorated due to lack of movement or exercise. In the worst case, certain diseases or symptoms such as inflammation, swollen blood vessels, or even serious complications such as pneumonia may be induced. These diseases are particularly harmful and disastrous to the old and/or the weak patient.
Furthermore, recovery always relies heavily on the emotional stability and status, of the patient. If movement ability of the patient is limited or prohibited, serious emotional instability may be caused. When the patient feels that he needs to depend on others or he could not take care himself, he may be upset and unhappy. And this kind of emotional instability will be unavoidably happened from time to time when the movement ability of the injured is lost or limited. Therefore, any equipment which can aid in movement or allowing the patient to have certain degree of movement will greatly promote the recovery of the injured person.
Therefore, there is a need to have a kind of splint having a guidance and support for aiding movement, and that the splint is capable of providing a rigid, yet protective and flexible support according to the movement of the injured person so as to prevent any possible pressure or force applied on the injured.